Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers)

Subject: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 29 Nov 01 - 10:45 PM

There's an old man in the park
Sometimes sits till after dark
Old men often don't say much
Rubenstein is just one such

Rubenstein remembers long ago, Septembers long ago
They say he comes from Germany, a poor hardworking family
Jewish tailors don't get rich, but they sew a close stitch
He wanted to be left alone, raise a family, build a home
He didn't want to stand in line, a yellow star his David sign

Rubenstein remembers but he will not say,
Where he was or what he did all those years he went away
Rubenstein remembers but his voice is still
He pulls his coat around him as he feels a sudden chill
And walks away

Written by Ewan Ewen Caruthers Carruthers

JE

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Nov 01 - 12:01 AM

Nice song. I have it on an Allan Taylor album - 'Lines'. In the version he sings, there are 2 additional lines to the second stanza - perhaps Taylor added them:

But if you sit with him a while
He will talk and sometimes smile
Rubenstein remembers
Long ago Septembers, long ago

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Allan C.
Date: 30 Nov 01 - 08:36 AM

If you have never heard Bill Sables sing this song, you have missed something wonderful.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 30 Nov 01 - 11:28 AM

Your right Allan, I keep telling Bill to record this song, he said he might put it on his next CD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: annamill
Date: 30 Nov 01 - 12:04 PM

The first time I heard this song is when Bill sang it for us. It is one of my favorites that he does and I don't think I could ever enjoy anyone else doing it. Even the original, whom ever that might be.

One of his many..

Love, Annamill

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Nov 02 - 10:08 PM

died to yung

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 05:44 PM

Guest, who did? Ewen Carruthers? Can you give a little more info on him, please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 13 May 03 - 08:24 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: alanabit
Date: 14 May 03 - 02:42 AM

A Google search threw up Dave Anderson, a resident at a folk club, who plays some of his songs. I am sorry that I can't use HTML at all on Mudcat, but the address is:
    www.cramfolk.co.uk/residents.htm
Maybe he could tell you more.

Subject: DTADD: Rubenstein Remembers
From: bill\sables
Date: 14 May 03 - 05:53 AM

Ewan Ewen Carruthers was born in the North East of England in County Durham
He moved to Yorkshire and lived in the village of Rawcliffe near Goole.
It was while he lived here that he wrote many of his songs including "Rubenstein Remembers". A few years ago he left England and moved to California where he now lives.
Joe Offer has asked me to post the lyrics as I sing them so here they are;

Rubenstein Remembers
(Ewan Ewen Carruthers)

There's an old man in the park
Sometimes sits till after dark
Old men often don't say much
Rubenstein is just one such

But if you sit with him a while
He will talk and sometimes smile
Rubenstein remembers
Long ago Septembers long ago

He was born in Germany
Honest hard working family
Jewish taylors don't get rich
But they sew a close, close stitch
He wanted to be left alone
Raise a family, Build a home
He didn't want to stand in line
The yellow star was David's sign

Rubenstein remembers
But he will not say
Where he was or what he did
All those years he went away

Rubenstein remembers
But his voice is still
Throws his coat around him
As he feels a sudden chill
And walks away.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 May 03 - 03:40 PM

Thanks, Bill. Now, is there a definitive spelling of the songwriter's name? It's spelled three ways in this thread - and a Web search turns up two of the three spellings.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 10:21 PM

Joe-As far as I know, the correct spelling is Ewan Ewen Carruthers.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 10:26 PM

Purely out of interest, i have just tried a google search,
Ewen = 821 pages
Ewan = 859 pages

I think it's Ewan Ewen.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: DonMeixner
Date: 05 Sep 03 - 12:20 AM

Great. Now how about some chords?

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Sep 03 - 06:26 AM

According to this page, which seems to be put up by his agent, the spelling is "Ewen".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Lanfranc
Date: 06 Sep 03 - 07:06 AM

Ah, but it's well-known that accurate spelling is not a forte in the US!!

Superb song - always thought it was Allan Taylor's own. Certainly in his version on "Lines" he gets inside the song brilliantly. I look forward to hearing Bill's version one day.

Might even learn it myself.

Alan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 06 Sep 03 - 06:01 PM

Incidentally, 'Lines' has the spelling 'Ewen Carruthers', and I've never come across the other one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers
From: Allan C.
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 03:54 PM

I just discovered someplace where a different second verse was posted. It claims to be as was originally written by Mr. Carruthers.

He was born in Germany,
poor but loving family
Jewish tailors don't get rich
but they sew a close, close stitch
Married 1929,
wife two children doing fine
Until 1939,
took them down that railway line.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 22 Nov 05 - 06:01 PM

Allan, Graham Hodge, who sent this info to My Songbook, is a friend of Ewen Carruthers. Following on from that eMail, I had a brief correspondence with Ewen himself last February. He wrote:

"Dear Susan:
> > Thanks to Graham Hodge for providing the words to "Rubenstein Remembers"
> > as originally written by myself. To forestall any minor controversy, I
> > would explain that when I wrote the song about 20 years ago Allan
> > Taylor, who was, and still is, a friend of mine asked if he could record
> > the song. He subsequently asked if he could make some alterations as
> > he was not comfortable with the lines in question. I said, o.k. and he
> > recorded the amended version. Allan has never asked for a songwriting
> > credit.
> > In conclusion, I have no problem with either version of "Rubenstein
> > Remembers". As a matter of interest, I have recently recorded my
> > original version of the song on an album for Stockfisch Records to be
> > released later this year.
> > Yours truly, Ewen Carruthers, Newark California, USA"

and:

"I won't go into great detail but this was a song that took several years to complete as I wanted to convey what happened without going into horrific detail. I had the melody and the first part of the song, but put it to one side as I did'nt know how to end it. Several years later I was watching a TV documentary where concentration camp survivors were being interviewed. In many cases they could not or would not talk about their experiences. I then realized I could finish the song."

and:

"I cannot remember what precisely prompted me to write the song, but as I recall it was the combination of the two words "Rubenstein Remembers" which set me on a train of thought as to what a person with this name might remember, rather than setting out to write a song about the Holocaust. Therefore, I had a title before I had any other lyrics!
Having decided on the subject and being particularly interested in history I felt it was worthwhile completing the song even though, as I have already mentioned, I set it aside for several years until I could find a way to end it.
I agree that this is an event which should never be forgotten although I have to say that I am not aware of any other song which touches on the subject.
Yes, I remember Bill Sables and we did both live in Yorkshire in the 80's and early 90's, and our paths occasionally crossed. If you see him again give him my regards.
Incidentally, I am originally from Northumberland, the next county above Co. Durham."

This is what Ewen wrote in three eMails. I leave in the reference to our own Bill Sables (who has recorded the song) because I cannot remember whether I ever passed Ewen's regards on to him. Sorry, Bill!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers)
From: GUEST,janet hainsworth
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 07:51 PM

Ewan Ewen, have lost your address and you must be DESPERATE for my xmas ramblings! i am on line at [e-mail] or [e-mail] and i only e mail once a year so if you get this or any one can pass it on please do

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers)
From: GUEST,Jim Ellison
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 02:30 PM

Ewan Ewen, for some reason one of your songs came into my head and I thought that I'd check you out on the net - to my surprise I spotted another name from the Pearl Assurance passed, Janet Hainsworth, had just posted a note. What a coincidence.

I hope that you pick this note up and get in touch. I'm on [e-mail]
Cheers,
Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 05:39 PM

I've eMailed Ewen, asking him to have a look at this thread.

Subject: Lyr Add: RUBENSTEIN REMEMBERS (Ewen Carruthers)
From:
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 10:07 PM

Thanks to everyone who is interested in "Rubenstein Remembers."

The correct spelling of my name is Ewen - often misspelt even by close friends and those who have my albums in front of them!

The song lyrics as I wrote them are:-

RUBENSTEIN REMEMBERS (Ewen Carruthers)

There's an old man in the park
Sometimes sits till after dark
Old men often don't say much
Rubenstein is just one such

But if you sit with him a while
He will talk and sometimes smile
Rubenstein remembers
Long ago Septembers long ago

He was born in Germany
Poor but loving family
Jewish tailors don't get rich
But they sew a close, close stitch
Married 1929
wife 2 children doing fine
Until 1939
took them down that railroad line

Rubenstein remembers
But he will not say
What he did or where he was
All those years he went away

Rubenstein remembers
But his voice is still
He pulls his coat around him
As he feels a sudden chill
And he walks away

La La La.........

The alterations in the song as recorded by Allan Taylor are explained below in the emails I sent to Susan earlier this year:

"Dear Susan:
> > Thanks to Graham Hodge for providing the words to "Rubenstein Remembers"
> > as originally written by myself. To forestall any minor controversy, I
> > would explain that when I wrote the song about 20 years ago Allan
> > Taylor, who was, and still is, a friend of mine asked if he could record
> > the song. He subsequently asked if he could make some alterations as
> > he was not comfortable with the lines in question. I said, o.k. and he
> > recorded the amended version. Allan has never asked for a songwriting
> > credit.
> > In conclusion, I have no problem with either version of "Rubenstein
> > Remembers". As a matter of interest, I have recently recorded my
> > original version of the song on an album for Stockfisch Records to be
> > released later this year.
> > Yours truly, Ewen Carruthers, Newark California, USA"

and:

"I won't go into great detail but this was a song that took several years to complete as I wanted to convey what happened without going into horrific detail. I had the melody and the first part of the song, but put it to one side as I did'nt know how to end it. Several years later I was watching a TV documentary where concentration camp survivors were being interviewed. In many cases they could not or would not talk about their experiences. I then realized I could finish the song."

and:

"I cannot remember what precisely prompted me to write the song, but as I recall it was the combination of the two words "Rubenstein Remembers" which set me on a train of thought as to what a person with this name might remember, rather than setting out to write a song about the Holocaust. Therefore, I had a title before I had any other lyrics!
Having decided on the subject and being particularly interested in history I felt it was worthwhile completing the song even though, as I have already mentioned, I set it aside for several years until I could find a way to end it.
I agree that this is an event which should never be forgotten although I have to say that I am not aware of any other song which touches on the subject.
Yes, I remember Bill Sables and we did both live in Yorkshire in the 80's and early 90's, and our paths occasionally crossed. If you see him again give him my regards.
Incidentally, I am originally from Northumberland, the next county above Co. Durham.

Thank you for your continued interest in the song.

Please feel free to email me directly at [e-mail]


Ewen Carruthers

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 23 Oct 10 - 04:07 PM

R.I.P Ewen, you will be sadly missed by your family, friends and fans, a very talented man xxx

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers)
From: The Maverick
Date: 14 Jun 15 - 07:30 AM

Can anyone help with the chords please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers)
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Aug 15 - 10:05 AM

or even tab?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rubenstein Remembers (Ewen Carruthers)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 04:55 PM

Still hanging out for a Tab? or chords??